“The Sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever,” said legendary undersea explorer Jacques Cousteau. And there is so much wonder in the vast blue space that spans more than 70 percent of our world. Above the azure surface, countless islands remain waiting to be explored. Underneath is a world of its own, teeming with life unlike anything found on shore.
The words of Cousteau resonate deeply with Frik and Petro, themselves caught in the spell of the sea. This South African couple is on a quest to explore every corner of Earth’s oceans aboard their Leopard 45 catamaran. And they are sailing the globe with sisu.
“Sisu” is a Finnish word that describes a form of grit, courage and resoluteness in the face of adversity. At its core, sisu is the ability to decide on a course of action and stick with it, no matter the outcome — even if that action is sailing the world.
A sense of wanderlust runs through both Frik and Petro’s veins. This desire for adventure took them on extensive land travels before they ever set sail. The two have been on multiple off-road safaris into desert and brush environments, heading out with little more than a four-wheel-drive vehicle and a tent. “I’m pretty much an explorer,” says Frik. “I like safaris, and I like seeing new places and new countries.”
The ocean has always held a great fascination for Petro. Born and raised on the coast, its sheer vastness intrigued her. Experiences with scuba diving gave her a glimpse of how much there is still to discover, so this new life at sea felt like a natural progression from the things she had always loved.
Frik and Petro officially took delivery of their Leopard catamaran in September, then stocked up and set sail the following February. They departed Cape Town for the high seas aboard their new Leopard 45, named, of course, “Sisu.” Their shakedown cruise was a proper training trip, taking on some of the big waters around Cape Town, South Africa.
After their maiden voyage, the couple gained confidence in their sailing abilities and grew more adventurous. They left Cape Town in February, heading north. Their first stop was Mercury Island, a small rocky island off the Diamond Coast of Namibia and one of the most important seabird breeding sites along the Namibian coast. From there, they continued north before eventually setting out on a 32-day nonstop passage to Cabo Verde.
The next port of call was the Canary Islands, where they visited six of the seven islands. Frik and Petro then set their sights on sailing through the Mediterranean toward southern Turkey, with plans to stop in Tunisia — which would become the 97th country Frik had traveled to over the years. “We also want to go to places where not many people have been to before,” says Frik. “I know people think some places are dangerous — like the Amazon, for example. When I started asking people for advice on going up the Amazon River, everyone just said, ‘Why would you want to go up the Amazon River?’” “Because we want to,” says Petro, simply. “We do go off the beaten track.”
The couple’s longer-term plan is to circumnavigate the globe, potentially venturing into high latitudes known for icebergs, storms and heavy seas. To prepare for such challenging cruising, Frik and Petro planned to test their Leopard Catamaran in high-latitude waters. Their goal was to learn what to expect and become comfortable handling whatever conditions came their way. Eventually, they hoped to make their way across the Baltic and Norwegian Seas, up to Iceland and perhaps, one day, south to Antarctica. “I’ve been to Antarctica before, but on a larger scientific explorer boat. But it would be great to go on our own time,” says Frik.
Before setting sail, Frik worked for years as a software engineer for the United Nations. His job required very long hours, seven days a week. The work took him to 96 different countries, traveling primarily by car or plane, with the occasional ferry ride thrown in. “Eventually, you get to a point where you just look at your life,” says Frik. “I decided enough is enough, time out. I stayed there for another year, but at the same time, when I knew I would finish the project and move on, I started selling all my properties. I put the deposit down for my Leopard 45. For me it was a cool-down period to get everything done. This is how I ended up on a Leopard Catamaran.”
Frik had tested the sailing lifestyle before to see if it would be a good fit. In 2008, he and his brother volunteered as crew on a delivery from Cape Town to Miami. He spent 46 nights at sea aboard a Leopard 40. That was when he realized that roaming the world’s waters was the lifestyle for him. As for Petro, if you ask why they decided on a Leopard for their journeys, she’ll simply say, “because it’s special.”
The couple chose their Leopard catamaran over a monohull primarily for its stability and added room. “I like that the boat is so stable that we can actually sit down and enjoy the sail,” says Frik. “It’s different than any other type of travel. You can sit down and read a book. It’s much more relaxing. Then, when you’re at anchor, we have all the space. We can sit in the front cockpit, the saloon or the back.” “Once you get on the Leopard 45 and you sail it on your own, that’s when you realize the specialness of this boat,” says Petro. “Our favorite part of our days is having dinner and watching the sunset from the forward cockpit. This experience is extraordinary. It’s such a precious moment.”
Petro was born in Port Elizabeth on Algoa Bay in South Africa’s Eastern Cape Province. Her own travels took her throughout Africa. The idea to set sail first came to Petro when her children were still very young. The former business executive wanted a change from the “rat race” of an extremely competitive workplace that brought her little satisfaction. “It was time for a change,” says Petro. “I had lost track of the much more important and soul-pleasing qualities of life, like family time, traveling, reading a good book and laughing until your tummy hurts. Sailing was a lifelong passion, and it was an absolute no-brainer to make the call.”
To support their travels, Petro works as a boat insurance broker, while Frik relies on income from investments. They estimate that their circumnavigation could take ten years or longer to complete, and they’re ready for the journey.
Along the way, Frik and Petro started a YouTube channel documenting their transition to full-time sailing and the decisions that shaped their journey. “It was designed to say this is what we’ve decided, or this is what we’ve researched, and this is how that influenced our decision,” says Frik. Their goal is to help others who dream of pursuing the same kind of lifestyle.
The couple’s motto is simple: “One life! Sail it!” And that’s exactly what they’re doing — sailing with sisu.
Explore Their Leopard and Cruising Lifestyle
Frik and Petro began their global adventure aboard a Leopard 45, a model well suited to the kind of long-distance, liveaboard cruising they envisioned. Their journey has already taken them from South Africa and Namibia to Cabo Verde and the Canary Islands, with plans that stretched across the Mediterranean and toward more remote cruising grounds around the world.
Today, the Leopard 46 carries that platform forward as the successor to the Leopard 45, building on the model’s proven cruising DNA with a refined layout, enhanced accommodations and updated options for long-term cruising.
Frik and Petro’s story is just one example of how Leopard owners are using their catamarans to cross oceans, live aboard and explore destinations far beyond the typical cruising route.
Explore more Leopard Owner Stories and discover how owners across the fleet are turning their cruising plans into real-world adventures.
